We have recently borne witness to a paradigm shift in the office culture. With the drift towards the work-from-home movement, creating a devoted home office is the smart move. An organized yet cozy alcove can help dodge the distractions of home and improve work-life balance. As designers, we seek to create a flow in each home, where each room displays its own, distinct personality and is still a part of the cohesive design story throughout the house. Keep reading for some carefully curated pointers for a stellar home-office interior design below.
PICK AND PLAN
Choosing the correct room or niche for your office-room is important. While closed rooms offer peace and quiet, fitting in the swank Crittall-style doors or wall, can open the space up and let in extra light, bringing in an industrial edge with smooth professionalism. Creating a designated break or lounge area within the office can help you unwind, and entertain clients without getting sucked into the bustle of the home outside.
LIGHT AND BRIGHT
Plenty of sunlight streaming in through its windows is a major perk for your home office. A well-lit room can instantly awaken and get you buzzing to face the new day! Not blessed with abundant natural light? Worry not! Strategically adding mirrors around the room helps bounce light and increase luminosity. Similarly arranging your desk to face a window will help soak up the sun and increase your focus, and reduce anxiety and stress while at work.
COLOR ON THE WALL
A home office should be one that induces calm, comfort and creativity. Having neutral colors as primary shades on the walls, will give the room a refreshing and crisp sophistication and boost productivity. How to avoid the room from looking insipid you ask? Gracing the room with treasured artwork, introducing a patterned wallpaper or a rich color on the wall, or throwing a plush rug down for your weary feet, can make the room buoyant. While extremely dark colors can dampen the work-spirit, skilfully adding various colors, can soothe and aid the mind! There are psychological benefits to each color. For instance, if you happen to be the creative type, gray has been proven to bring out that creative energy! Splashes of metallic colors like gold or silver through foil-art or wallpapers, and accessories can also revitalize the room. Finally, airy and light office space is popularly coveted, and easily attainable through thoughtful planning.
GREEN IS GOOD
With sustainability being the latest mantra, the addition of live plants in the workspace is the norm. Presence of nature within the room can increase cognitive functions, enhance creativity and promote overall health. Biophilic design is nothing new, but often we forget to stay connected to nature, even when we are entrenched in home-office work tasks. Artistically arranging big-leafed, potted plants can blur the boundaries between the indoors and outdoors and animate the room. If nothing else, we encourage you to prop a small bowl of succulents on your desk and watch it do wonders!
HAVE A SEAT!
The seating in your home office is one of the prime factors deciding if you have a productive day at work or not. Comfortable seating will ensure you don’t drift in search of a cozy nook elsewhere. While you may get creative with the sofa that adorns the lounge area of your office, a sound back support is a must for any desk-chair. Having said that, there is no dearth of chairs designs that are ergonomic and stylish! Opt for plush fabrics such as velvets and suede, or in-trend sustainable favorites such as linen, burlap etc. to up the charm-game. Upholstery in jewel-toned colors, possibly with some sophisticated prints from fschumacher.com can add that extra oomph to the room.
HOT DESK
A home office desk has the luxury of being as big or small as the room allows and sensibly personalized. While comfortably large, it shouldn’t be so expansive as to attract clutter. The material palette can range from classic solid-wood to opulent table-tops of natural stones like marble, limestone, onyx, and semi-precious stones like amethyst and amazonite even! While wood is often polished to a mirror finish, they can also be left raw maybe with a live-edge finish for a rustic, oceanic vibe! A frame or trim of metals like burnished brass, bronze or copper makes a stunning and unique statement. The trending fashion is also the inclusion of standing desks in the office that promise better posture and health benefits to the working professionals.
STORAGE STORY
It is extremely vital to give necessary storage around the office space for a trim and uncluttered space. Contemporary cabinets that merge seamlessly with the wall, or library-style shelves, pick a design that floats your boat and brings out the best in the space. Storage solutions for equipment are a must for a neat workspace. For example, wireless printers that can be tucked away in a designated cubicle, free up desk-space.
CRANK UP THE LIGHTS
In the absence of natural light, interior lighting plays an important role. With the increasing number of hours spent at work, adequate and smart lighting is crucial to reduce the strain on eyes. A conscious design solution will ensure the perfect mix of overhead and task lighting in a home office, allowing the user to switch between lights according to what best suits the task at hand. Additionally, dropping a statement chandelier or floor lamp into the area lends a well-rounded charisma to the room.
Are you on-board for creating a home office that feels luxe and has you happily returning to your desk every morning? Give us a call and we can start with a complimentary consultation to see what best fits your home and needs.
